January 2009
The cold spell from 2008 continued well in to January with most  places remaining frozen for long periods and with many areas, including the Lower Derwent Valley, locked under ice and frost there seemed to be a dearth of birds around, in terms of numbers at least. A pair of Mute Swans appeared at York University Lake on the 27th while an adult Bewick’s Swan was with just five Whooper Swans at North Duffield Carrs on the 4th. Three Bewick’s Swans were reported flying south at Wheldrake Ings on the 6th while numbers of Whooper Swan increased as the wintry conditions eased with 43 birds present at North Duffield by the end of the month; elsewhere, three birds remained on Castle Howard Lake until at least the 4th with another three seen in fields between Sutton-on-the-Forest and Strensall on the 3rd and 4th. A Tundra Bean Goose was reported to be with Greylags at Thorganby Ings on the 25th while 30 Pink-footed Geese flew west over Millington Pastures near Pocklington on the 10th with c. 100 northwest over Sand Hutton on the 14th. Ten Shelduck were at Wheldrake Ings with other wildfowl, such as Wigeon, also present in very small numbers. Several Pintail were at North Duffield Carrs on the 12th with six birds seen on the 17th while a notable concenrtation of c. 100 Pochard was at Wheldrake Ings on the 10th. Only five Goldeneye were at Castle Howard Lake on the 4th with just seven Goosander there on the first while a drake flew over Fulford Ings on the 3rd. A few Little Grebes were on Pocklington Canal at Melbourne on the 4th with one Great Crested Grebe having returned to York University Lake by the 23rd. There were some interesting raptor records this month with numbers of Red Kite still present in the Pocklington area and up to two ‘cream-crown’ Marsh Harriers apparently wintering in the Lower Derwent Valley. Only small numbers of Common Buzzard were reported with a pair near Dunnington observed performing dramatic display flights on the 30th. Meanwhile, at least one of the juvenile Rough-legged Buzzards at Millington Pastures lingered on till mid-month, though sightings were intermittent. A Merlin flew over the A64 at Bishopthorpe on the 16th while single Peregrines were reported from North Duffield Carrs, Sutton-on-the-Forest (16th) and Grimston Park&Ride near York (23rd); the individual at North Duffield was watched chasing a Marsh Harrier on the 10th. Just outside the recording area, a rather showy Water Rail was seen on a small pond at Millington Pastures on three dates. Wader-wise, things were rather quiet too with two Golden Plover flying high northwest over Fulford on the 4th no doubt fleeing the wintry weather! At least 400 of these birds were counted at Terrington on the 24th with c. 300 at Elvington on the 30th while the only Lapwing flocks reported were c. 150 near Huntington on the 1st, 100+ at Terrington on the 24th and 120 at Elvington on the 30th. Three Ruff feeding by the River Derwent at Bubwith Ings on the 4th was the only report of this species with c. 20 Common Snipe at Fulford Ings on the 1st being more expected than an individual flushed from dry ryegrass pasture near Elvington airfield on the 6th! Sightings of single Woodcocks were reported from Askham Bog on three dates, in the Dunnington/Elvington area on the 6th and 17th and at Hessay fishing ponds on the 13th. The only other wader record of note concerned a single Green Sandpiper seen in a flooded field by the A59 at Upper Poppleton on the 27th and 28th. More unusual, perhaps, was an all-dark Black-headed Gull seen at York University between the 15th and 27th and Clifton Ings on the 20th; this bird appeared not to be oiled, but may have been soiled in some way as melanism is reportedly very rare in gulls – it was certainly a distinctive bird, however, and its skua-like appearance in flight soon upset the local pigeons!  A very early (or more likely wintering) Lesser Black-backed Gull flew west over Fulford on the 1st while other gulls of note included a second-winter Iceland Gull at Knapton on the 5th with two birds seen at the Wheldrake Ings roost the following day where a juvenile Glaucous Gull was also seen on the 25th. Barn Owls were seen in several locations with a Little Owl at Welburn being a ‘banker’ for a local bird race on the 4th while up to three Short-eared Owls were seen at Millington Pastures where a Kingfisher was also in residence early in the month. Green Woodpeckers were reported from a couple of sites while a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker photographed in a Huby garden on the 26th was quite a surprise! Meanwhile, the Waxwing invasion continued with more birds noted this month and in more obvious places: up to six birds were seen in Strensall during the month with two at Pocklington on the 6th, up to seven at Askham Bog from the 22nd-27th, 15 roosting in a tree at York University on the 23rd and 18 on Broadway West, Fulford on the 25th increasing to a maximum of 28 by the 30th. Pairs of Stonechat were noted at North Duffield Carrs on the 4th and by the level crossing in Strensall on the 6th while many winter thrushes were reported to be in the Long Marston area at the beginning of the month though few were noted elsewhere apart from a flock of 60+ Fieldfare at Heslington Tillmire on the 23rd. More unusual, however, was a ringed Cetti’s Warbler seen behind the Tower Hide at Wheldrake Ings on the 6th while a male Blackcap visiting a Copmanthorpe garden early in the month was more expected. A Goldcrest visiting bird feeders in a Heslington garden on the 25th was noteworthy and probably reflected the weather conditions. Ten Tree Sparrows feeding in a game field in the Dunnington/Elvington area on the 6th had increased to 55 birds by the 30th while 20 were counted at Heslington Tillmire on the 23rd. While counts of small birds were generally low this was certainly countered by variety: while a flock of c. 200 Chaffinches feeding in stubble at Kexby Stray Farm near Dunnington on the 30th may have been an exception in the numbers game, other notable records included at least two Bramblings in a mixed finch flock at Millington Pastures on the 10th where two Twite were seen well on the 18th, a count of 60 Goldfinches in the Dunnington/Elvington area, two Siskins at Askham Bog on the 8th increasing to c. 80 birds by the 25th, two Mealy Redpolls reported with ‘ Lessers’ by the main car park at Castle Howard on the 7th, a sizeable flock of 16 Bullfinches in the Dunnington/Elvington area on the 30th and up to two Hawfinches seen at Millington Pastures throughout the month. As well as with finches, there were no big bunting flocks reported though c. 30 Corn Buntings coming into the Melbourne roost on the 4th was of note...